I don't want to get too heavy on you, though I have to admit, this is an intense week. One of my favorite people on this planet is getting ready for a really tough surgery. Maybe it's my coping mechanisms kicking in... but I needed to bake some cookies. Crispy, chewy cookies. Comforting, easy cookies. In fact, you may not even have to go to the store to buy ingredients for these little guys, because they are made with just a few simple pantry ingredients.

If you are pulling your eggs from the fridge, you can quickly bring them to room temperature by submerging them in a bowl of warm water.

In a medium bowl, mix ground almonds and sugar.

In another bowl, whisk egg whites and almond extract. Doesn't that smell good!

Pour whisked egg into the bowl with the almonds and sugar, stir, and you'll have a sticky batter that's ready to bake.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1/2 teaspoon dollops of batter on to the parchment paper. Leave plenty of room around each cookie so they can spread. Wells suggests baking only 12 cookies on a sheet, and that worked well for me.

Bake for 11-15 minutes. The cookies are done when the outsides are golden brown and the middle is a little firm. Remove from the oven and place cookies (while still on the parchment) onto a cooling rack. The cookies will crisp up quickly and be ready to eat.

Boy, were those easy and good. I'm satisfied now.

Makes 3 dozen cookies. These should keep up to 10 days in an airtight container.

Jenn, Thanks for the well wishes. Her surgery is Friday and I am hopeful. And my stove is smiling at the compliment!

Emma, I am lucky to have that stove, she is pretty and works quite nicely;) I never get sick of Earl Grey. And the bergamot was really nice with the amaretti. And thanks for the well wishes - they mean a lot.

Nothing soothes my soul more than cooking. Cooking is even better than eating to calm an anxious mind. Maybe it's because the task at hand forces all the worry out of my head. In any case, it works for me.

I hope everything is going well with your friend. Those times can be so stressful and nothing like some tea and cookies to calm your nerves. That's why I love comin here! Take care and have a nice week.

I grew up in German tradition where "Kaffee und Kuchen" were a a daily tradition for an afternoon break - having married an Englishman tea has become the remedy for all woes and aliments. So on goes the beauty of cozy traditions. Your cookies look to be a lovely new addition to our newly gluten free household. I am looking forward to making them.

Thanks M! Both my loved-one and my stove are getting so much love! Makes me smile.

Linda, Thanks for the nice note. I do usually use a 100m macro fixed and a 50mm 1.4 on a full-frame camera. I love the 100 macro for the incredible detail and the 50 for the pretty depth of field. I love talking about photography - so much fun - please let me know if you have any other questions:)

Ustabahippie, Always nice to hear from you! Your comment made me think of how many pancakes and cookies have been made on/in our stove in the past decade. Cooking with my kids makes me so happy too. And there's something particularly sentimental about such an old cutie like this model, isn't there?

Love, love, love the simple ingredients. To have fresh warm cookies is such a treat. Awesome pictures and yes, I too love the oven. It reminds me of grandmas oven. My sister lives in L.A. and she has a similar oven that she LOVES. She has re-done her kitchen but the oven/stove had to stay....incredible meals come out of them and them temperature is usually right on the dot.. right?

Hi Erin!I know how it goes. When your head and your heart are in another place, it's really hard to concentrate. Easy becomes the order of the day. Fingers crossed for an uneventful surgery and recovery for your special person and sending positive thoughts for you too!

Love what a simple recipe this is! I was just thinking about making cookies (must be the weather...). These look like the ones! (A bit healthier than my fav almond biscotti and a similar flavor, maybe?)

I know it's been said...but your stove is INCREDIBLE. I've always wondered with those older stoves -- how do they bake? Is the temperature reliable? Definitely seems from your blog that it's not a problem...but you were also pretty masterful with that Bali contraption!

Allison, I think you'll really enjoy the almondy taste of these cookies. And they couldn't be much easier! You are so cute to remember my hilarious Bali oven. Must say, my old timer stove in Berkeley is much more reliable;) Sometimes I do have issues with temp calibration ( but I think that's true of most ovens.) Otherwise the thing works like a charm - plenty of power on the stove top and the oven heats up really quickly.